Rock queen Lilith Czar has just dropped a new single, completely independent, and it's absolutely gorgeous in the most harrowing, gut-wrenching, and grotesque way possible.
Juliet Simms, known since 2021 as Lilith Czar, has a very long history within the scene. From her first band Automatic Loveletter, to playing Warped Tour, from competing on The Voice, to the 2021 album Created From Filth And Dust, she has been signed to different labels across time, releasing music in different styles and genres, focusing mainly on variations of rock and pop.
"Popsicle", however, is a testament to how powerful an artist can be when "not" bound by the shackles of labels, marketers, record execs and the "industry" at large. It's an anthem of independence and taking back one's power over their art, their creation(s), their true self. I had loosely followed her career throughout the years, but frankly, it never piqued my interest, until I heard "Popsicle." It immediately turned me from a casual listener to a fan. It's heavy, it's bold, it hits you straight in the heart and soul, it's a statement.
If I were to compare it to a movie, "The Substance" is the first thing that comes to mind. Women in the entertainment field often have to face wave after wave of judgement, discrimination, objectification and exploitation. After years and years in the music industry, being told what to be and what to do, going through all the soul-crushing obstacles mentioned above, an artist may (and most do) reach a breaking point. Some suffer it in silence, and some, like Lilith Czar, take it and turn it into a volcano of rage and rejection that crystallizes in a song like "Popsicle."
Stellar vocal performance, brilliant songwriting, visceral lyrics and excellent production all come together to make this song the absolute beast that it is. "You two-faced son of a bitch/You fucking make me sick"; the song hits you in the face with the very opening line: raw, unfiltered, furious. "Turn me into something I'm not/A beautiful fraud" she sings in the chorus, painting the perfect picture of what it's like and how it feels to have to compromise your integrity to satisfy the needs of the "market". "Put me on the next top pop star hit list": In a way, the song is also an exposé of what goes on behind the scenes. Empty promises, hollow words that circulate in the conversations between artists and labels, how artists and their art are viewed as products to be bought and sold.
Words alone cannot truly represent what this song is, so I'll only say that it genuinely inspired me to follow through with my own artistic journey and to never give up on it, no matter what, no matter the difficulties and complications that may come my way, no matter how long it takes to get where I want to be, no matter how long it takes for me to "make it". The song really makes you think, and I urge you to listen to it for yourself, and enjoy the wild ride that is "Popsicle."
Listen to "Popsicle" on Spotify!
Keep up with Lilith Czar on Instagram!
